Tamper evident seal

ABSTRACT

A tamper evident seal includes a frangible portion spanning between a pair of adhesive end portions. One of the end portions can be secured to the body portion of a food container while the opposing end portion can be secured to the lid of the container such that the frangible portion spans across a seam between the lid and body of the container in a closed position. Evidence of opening by unauthorized persons is evident by tearing of the adhesive end portions from the container or by breaking of the seal at the frangible portion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a seal for securement across the opening of a food container, and more particularly relates to a seal which is tamper evident if attempted to be removed from the food container by unauthorized persons.

BACKGROUND

The takeout food industry in North America is a multibillion dollar industry. There is growing concern of food security and service, yet in most instances there is no guarantee that the takeout food product has been tampered with after it has left the restaurant. Typical food containers for the takeout industry include a body portion and a lid securable to the body portion in some releasable manner such that it is not possible to detect if the food container has been opened while in transit. Accordingly there is opportunity for a delivery person to contaminate the food or sample the food.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a tamper evident seal for a sealing a food container, the seal comprising an elongate strip of material having adhesive along one side thereof, the strip of material including a frangible portion connected between a pair of adhesive end portions.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of sealing a food container having a body portion and a lid portion joining the body portion at a seam of the container in a closed position, the method comprising:

-   -   providing a seal comprising an elongate strip of material having         adhesive along one side thereof, the strip of material including         a frangible portion connected between a pair of adhesive end         portions;     -   adhering one of the end portions to the body portion of the         container and adhering the other one of the end portions to the         lid portion such that the frangible portion spans across the         seam of the container in the closed position.

The tamper evident seal is a food safety seal to be placed over a food container on outgoing food orders to protect from accidental or deliberate contamination. The seal is a universal, high adhesive seal which may be approximately eight inches in length and which may be perforated along a central frangible portion thereof so as to be engineered to break when a person opens the food container. Accordingly it is evident when a person opens the food container as the seal is broken.

At least a bottom side of the end portions may have adhesive thereon, but preferably both the frangible portion and the end portions include adhesive secured along a bottom side thereof.

When the frangible portion is elongate, extending in a longitudinal direction between the end portions, the end portions are preferably larger in dimension than the frangible portion in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction.

The frangible portion of the seal is preferably weakened by perforations formed only in the frangible portion.

The perforations may be formed in dashed lines in which length of the perforations is greater than a non-perforated portion between adjacent perforations along each dashed line and the dashed lines extend diagonally in relation to a longitudinal direction of the frangible portion.

The end portions preferably include adhesive thereon having a suitable bonding strength for adhering to untreated polyolefins.

The end portions may be approximately eight inches apart.

Suitable indicia may be formed on the seal for indicating the seal is tamper evident.

There may be provided a roll of carrier material having a low-stick coating thereon upon which a plurality of seals are supported. When the seals extend in a longitudinal direction between respective end portions, the seals may be supported on the carrier material such that the longitudinal direction of the seals lies in a crosswise configuration to a longitudinal direction of the carrier material.

The carrier may be provided in combination with a food delivery container having a body portion and a lid portion joining the body portion at a seam of the container in a closed position wherein one of the end portions of the seal is secured to the body portion and the opposing one of the end portions is secured to the lid portion with the frangible portion spanning across the seam therebetween.

One of the end portions of the seal may be formed integrally on the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food takeout container with the tamper evident seal shown mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the seal according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the frangible portion of the seal.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the seal supported on a roll for dispensing a plurality of seals therefrom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a tamper evident seal generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The seal is particularly useful for providing evidence of tampering to takeout food containers 12.

Typical takeout food containers 12 include a body portion 14 for supporting the food item thereon and a lid portion 16 which joins the body portion 14 along a seam 18 formed therebetween when the lid and body portion are closed.

The seal 10 is cut from a sheet of pliable material which has sufficient tensile strength to permit the seal to be pulled from a roll 20 upon which the seal is stored while being sufficiently tearable to cause tearing of the material when trying to separate the seam across which the seal spans in use. Suitable materials may include vinyl, polyester, or plastic coated paper and the like.

The seal includes a layer of adhesive secured along the bottom side 22 thereof. The adhesive has a high bonding strength which sticks well to numerous materials common for food containers including untreated polyolefins, so as to cause tearing of the material forming the seal rather than releasing of the adhesive from the food container 12 if the seal were to be pulled from the container.

The seal includes a pair of end portions 26 and a central frangible portion 28 spanning therebetween. The end portions and the frangible portion are formed continuous with one another and are formed by cutting from a single sheet of material by a suitable stamp or like manufacturing processes.

The frangible portion is elongate in a longitudinal direction extending between the end portions 26. The adhesive continues along the full bottom 22 of the frangible portion. The frangible portion is weakened by perforations 30 which are formed therein. The perforations 30 comprise elongate slits which are aligned with one another in a series of parallel dashed lines in which each of the perforations 30 extends at a diagonal of an approximate 45 degree inclination relative to the longitudinal direction of the seal. The length of the perforation is much greater than the un-perforated portion of material between adjacent perforations formed sequential in a line. Each line of perforations spans fully across a width of the frangible portion 28.

The end portions 26 are rectangular in shape, oriented diagonally to the longitudinal direction of the frangible portion at opposing ends thereof. A lateral dimension of the end portions its considerably wider than the frangible portion. The end portions 26 and a portion of the frangible portions at each end thereof adjacent the end portions includes no perforations with the bottom side 22 being fully adhesive for adequate securement to the food container.

The overall length of the seal 10 in the illustrated embodiment is approximately eight inches. When stored on the roll 20 the seals 10 are oriented parallel to one another, spaced laterally in relation to one another along a longitudinal direction of the carrier material 32 forming the roll and supporting the plurality of seals 10 thereon. The carrier 32 is a pliable sheeted material having a low stick coating thereon to which the seals are adhered so as to be readily removed therefrom without tearing.

In an alternative embodiment, the seals 10 may be formed integrally with a food container. In this configuration, one of the end portions 26 is formed integrally with the lid or body portion of the container with the opposing end portion 26 being secured to the container with the frangible portion spanning across the sea once the container is closed.

In either embodiment, food items are similarly protected by placing within the body portion of the container 12 before closing the lid 16 to fully enclose the food item in the container 12. One or more seals are peeled from the roll 20 and attached to the food container such that one of the end portions of each seal is secured to the body portion 14 of the container and the opposing end portion is secured to the lid in a manner such that the frangible portion spans across the seam 18 between the body and lid portion when the container is closed without any slack. In this manner the lid can only be opened for accessing the food item unless the seal is torn from the container or the seal is broken at the frangible portion 28. In either instance, evidence of tampering is clearly visible thereafter.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A tamper evident seal for sealing a food container, the seal comprising an elongate strip of material having adhesive along one side thereof, the strip of material including a frangible portion connected between a pair of adhesive end portions.
 2. The seal according to claim 1 wherein at least a bottom side of the end portions have adhesive thereon.
 3. The seal according to claim 1 wherein both the frangible portion and the end portions include adhesive secured along a bottom side thereof.
 4. The seal according to claim 1 wherein the frangible portion is elongate, extending in a longitudinal direction between the end portions.
 5. The seal according to claim 4 wherein the end portions are larger in dimension than the frangible portion in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction.
 6. The seal according to claim 1 wherein the frangible portion of the seal is weakened by perforations.
 7. The seal according to claim 6 wherein the perforations are formed only in the frangible portion.
 8. The seal according to claim 6 wherein the perforations are formed in dashed lines in which length of the perforations is greater than a non-perforated portion between adjacent perforations along each dashed line.
 9. The seal according to claim 6 wherein the perforations are formed along dashed lines extending diagonally in relation to a longitudinal direction of the frangible portion.
 10. The seal according to claim 1 wherein the end portions include adhesive thereon having a suitable bonding strength for adhering to untreated polyolefins.
 11. The seal according to claim 1 wherein the end portions are approximately eight inches apart.
 12. The seal according to claim 1 there is provided suitable indicia formed on the seal for indicating the seal is tamper evident.
 13. The seal according to claim 1 in combination with a roll of carrier material having a low-stick coating thereon in which a plurality of seals are supported on the roll.
 14. The seal according to claim 13 wherein the seals extend in a longitudinal direction between respective end portions and wherein the seals are supported on the carrier material such that the longitudinal direction of the seals lies in a crosswise configuration to a longitudinal direction of the carrier material.
 15. The seal according to claim 1 in combination with a food delivery container having a body portion and a lid portion joining the body portion at a seam of the container in a closed position wherein one of the end portions of the seal is secured to the body portion and the opposing one of the end portions is secured to the lid portion with the frangible portion spanning across the seam therebetween.
 16. The combination according to claim 15 wherein one of the end portions of the seal is formed integrally on the container.
 17. A method of sealing a food container having a body portion and a lid portion joining the body portion at a seam of the container in a closed position, the method comprising: providing a seal comprising an elongate strip of material having adhesive along one side thereof, the strip of material including a frangible portion connected between a pair of adhesive end portions; adhering one of the end portions to the body portion of the container and adhering the other one of the end portions to the lid portion such that the frangible portion spans across the seam of the container in the closed position. 